S.Amdt. 6447Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)
S.Amdt. 6447
Sponsored by
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD)
Submitted June 24, 2026
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Senate amendment submitted
June 24, 2026
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SA 6447. Mr. ROUNDS (for himself and Ms. Cortez Masto) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following: SEC. 1094. DAKOTA MAINSTEM WATER SUPPLY PROJECT FEASIBILITY STUDY. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Dakota mainstem water supply project.--The term ``Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project'' means the proposed project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water to the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System service area in the States of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. (2) Non-federal project entity.--The term ``non-Federal project entity'' means the Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, Inc., a nonprofit corporation established and operated substantially in accordance with the reclamation feasibility standards to serve as a non-Federal project entity for purposes of the cooperative agreement entered into under subsection (b)(1). (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation). (b) Study.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the non-Federal project entity, shall carry out a study to determine the feasibility of constructing the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project in accordance with the reclamation laws and reclamation feasibility standards. (2) Feasibility report.--After completion of the feasibility study for the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (A) develop a feasibility report that includes a recommendation of the Secretary on-- (i) whether the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project is found to be technically and financially feasible in accordance with the reclamation laws; (ii) whether the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project should be authorized for construction; and (iii) the appropriate non-Federal share of construction costs for the Dakota Mainstem Water Supply Project, which shall be at least 25 percent of the total construction costs; (B) submit the report under subparagraph (A) to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and (C) make the report under subparagraph (A) publicly available, along with associated feasibility study documents. (3) Consultation and cooperation.--In addition to the non- Federal project entity, the Secretary shall consult and cooperate with appropriate Federal, State, Tribal, regional, and local authorities during the conduct of the feasibility study and development of the feasibility report under this section. (c) Cost-sharing Agreement for Feasibility Study Costs.-- The Secretary shall enter into a cost-sharing agreement (or an appropriate financial assistance agreement, as determined by the Secretary) with the non-Federal project entity to conduct a study under subsection (b) that complies with the reclamation feasibility standards. (d) Federal Share of Feasibility Study Costs; Funding.-- (1) Federal share; funding.--The Federal share of the total costs of carrying out the feasibility study under this section-- (A) shall not exceed 50 percent; and (B) shall be paid for by the Secretary using appropriated funds. (2) Identification of funds.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall identify sources of available funds to pay the Federal share under paragraph (1)(B). (e) Limitation on Expenditures.--Not more than $10,000,000 of Federal funds may be expended to carry out the feasibility study under this section. (f) Termination of Authority.--The authority provided by this section expires on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 1095. WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA WATER SUPPLY PROJECT FEASIBILITY STUDY. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Non-federal project entity.--The term ``non-Federal project entity'' means the Western Dakota Regional Water System, Inc., a nonprofit corporation. (2) Western south dakota water supply project.--The term ``Western South Dakota Water Supply Project'' means the proposed project to supply municipal, rural, and industrial water from the Missouri River to the Western Dakota Regional Water System. (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation). (b) Study.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary, in coordination with the non-Federal project entity, shall carry out a study to determine the feasibility of the Western South Dakota Water Supply Project in accordance with the reclamation laws and reclamation feasibility standards. (2) Feasibility report.--After completion of the feasibility study for the Western South Dakota Water Supply Project under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (A) develop a feasibility report that includes a recommendation of the Secretary on-- (i) whether the Western South Dakota Water Supply Project is found to be technically and financially feasible in accordance with the reclamation laws; (ii) whether the Western South Dakota Water Supply Project should be authorized for construction; and (iii) the appropriate non-Federal share of construction costs, which shall be at least 25 percent of the total construction costs; (B) submit the report under subparagraph (A) to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and (C) make the report under subparagraph (A) publicly available, along with associated feasibility study documents. (3) Consultation and cooperation.--In addition to the non- Federal project entity, the Secretary shall consult and cooperate with appropriate Federal, State, Tribal, regional, and local authorities during the conduct of the feasibility study and development of the feasibility report under this subsection. (c) Cost-sharing Agreement for Feasibility Study Costs.-- The Secretary shall enter into a cost-sharing agreement (or an appropriate financial assistance agreement, as determined by the Secretary) with the non-Federal project entity to conduct a study under subsection (b) that complies with the reclamation feasibility standards. (d) Federal Share of Feasibility Study Costs; Funding.-- (1) Federal share; funding.--The Federal share of the total costs of carrying out the feasibility study under subsection (b)-- (A) shall not exceed 50 percent; and (B) shall be paid for by the Secretary using appropriated funds. (2) Identification of funds.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall identify sources of available funds to pay the Federal share under paragraph (1)(B). (e) Limitation on Expenditures.--Not more than $10,000,000 of Federal funds may be expended to carry out the feasibility study under subsection (b). (f) Termination of Authority.--The authority provided by this section expires on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 1096. SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM. The Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act (43 U.S.C. 1477) is amended-- (1) in subsection (c)(2)-- (A) in subparagraph (A)-- (i) by striking ``develop'' and inserting ``continue developing''; and (ii) by striking ``culminating in the report required under subsection (d)(3)'' and inserting ``with an emphasis on development and deployment of more accurate, timely, and cost-effective snow monitoring technologies and water supply forecasting, including technologies that integrate snowpack measuring and modeling''; and (B) in subparagraph (B)-- (i) by striking ``after submitting the report required by subsection (d)(3),''; and (ii) by inserting ``and to improve water supply forecasting'' after ``watersheds''; (2) in subsection (d)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``and water supply forecasting'' after ``data''; (ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``emerging technologies for snowpack measurement, such as'' and inserting ``technologies for snowpack measurements and methods to forecast water supply, including''; (iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end; and (iv) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following: ``(C) imaging spectroscopy; ``(D) machine learning; ``(E) snowpack and hydrologic modeling; and ``(F) other technologies that the Secretary determines are likely to provide more accurate or timely snowpack measurement data or analytical methods utilizing snowpack [[Page S3570]] data that can improve water supply forecasting to inform water management and reservoir operations.''; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``emerging technologies for snowpack measurement'' and inserting ``technologies for snowpack measurement and models, including the Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration''; and (C) by striking paragraph (3); (3) in subsection (e)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) by striking ``After submitting the report required under subsection (d)(3), the'' and inserting ``The''; and (ii) by striking ``in particular watersheds'' and inserting ``and water supply forecasts in particular watersheds and to explore new statistical, machine learning, or physical models to generate improved water supply forecasts utilizing snowpack data''; and (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: ``(2) Focus.--The program shall focus on activities that will maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack measurement and modeling projected water supply, with an emphasis on-- ``(A) enhancing activities to achieve improved snow and water supply forecasting results that are more responsive to changing weather and watershed conditions; ``(B) activities in river basins where activities described in this section relating to snowpack measurement and water supply forecasting can inform water management decisions or models at a multi-water user, multi-basin, or multi-State scale, including interstate water management decisions; and ``(C) building the capacity of program partners to implement and adapt to the new measurement and forecasting capabilities enabled under the program.''; (4) in subsection (f)-- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``this Act'' and inserting ``the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027''; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or sub-basin''; (C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (4); and (D) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: ``(1) a list of basins for which snowpack measurement and integrated modeling technologies are being used under the program, including a description of each application, outcome, and data resource used; ``(2) an assessment of which technologies best inform water supply forecasting for multiple water districts, communities, or States; ``(3) an assessment of forecasts generated using new technologies authorized under this Act compared against water supply forecast benchmarks from the Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and''; and (5) in subsection (g), by striking ``$15,000,000, in the aggregate, for fiscal years 2022 through 2026'' and inserting ``$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031''. SEC. 1097. REAUTHORIZATION OF COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FOR LARGE-SCALE WATER RECYCLING AND REUSE PROGRAM. Section 40905 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (43 U.S.C. 3205) is amended-- (1) in subsection (b), by inserting ``feasibility studies and'' before ``the planning''; (2) in subsection (d)-- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ``for a feasibility study for the eligible project or'' before ``to an eligible project''; and (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``30'' and inserting ``60''; and (3) in subsection (k)-- (A) by striking ``5 years'' and inserting ``10 years''; and (B) by inserting ``, except for any project under construction as of that termination date'' before the period at the end. SEC. 1098. GLEN CANYON DAM FEASIBILITY STUDY. (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation) (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Director of the United States Geological Survey, the Colorado River Basin States, and Colorado River Storage Project power contractors, shall carry out a feasibility study (including all hydrological modeling) to analyze alternatives (including infrastructure upgrades) to address downstream invasive species at Glen Canyon Dam. (b) Included Alternatives.--The alternatives analyzed under subsection (a) may include a thermal curtain or a selective water withdrawal system at Glen Canyon Dam to optimize hydropower generation when releasing cold water from Glen Canyon Dam, while also preventing entrainment of invasive species, pursuant to the 2016 Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision and section 1802 of the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-575; 106 Stat. 4669). (c) Feasibility Determination.--If the Secretary determines that an alternative studied under subsection (a) is feasible under the reclamation laws, the Secretary may initiate design, construction, and associated activities of, as applicable, the recommended alternative, including any necessary policy actions allowable under the reclamation laws. (d) Feasibility Report.--After completion of the feasibility study required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall develop a summarized feasibility study report that includes, at a minimum-- (1) an analysis of the alternatives analyzed and identification of the recommended alternative; (2) an allocation of the construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement costs of the recommended alternative to the authorized purposes of the Colorado River Storage Project; (3) the major structural features and nonstructural features of the recommended alternative, any special considerations for implementation of the recommended alternative, and the estimated cost of implementation of the recommended alternative; (4) an analysis of the effects of the recommended alternative on hydropower production and rates, which shall be developed in consultation with the Western Area Power Administration; (5) a recommendation of the Secretary on whether-- (A) the recommended alternative is found to be technically and financially feasible in accordance with the reclamation laws; and (B) the recommended alternative should be authorized for construction; and (6) any other recommendations determined to be necessary by the Secretary. (e) Feasibility Study and Feasibility Report Deadlines.-- The Secretary shall-- (1) not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, complete the feasibility study required under subsection (a); and (2) not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary completes the feasibility report required under subsection (d), submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives the feasibility report required under that subsection. (f) Funding.-- (1) In general.--The costs of the feasibility study required under subsection (a) shall be paid for by the Secretary using appropriated funds. (2) Treatment of funds.--Any Federal funds made available to carry out this section shall be nonreimbursable and nonreturnable to the United States. (3) Identification of funds.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and Colorado River Storage Project power contractors, shall identify sources of available funds to carry out this section. (g) Effect.--Nothing in this section affects the criteria for the coordinated long-range operations of Colorado River reservoirs pursuant to section 602 of the Colorado River Basin Project Act (Public Law 90-537; 82 Stat. 900). (h) Termination of Authority.--The authority provided by this section expires on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 1099. COOPERATIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. (a) Definitions.--Section 6001 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 1015) is amended-- (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (7) as paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively; (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following: ``(4) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).''; and (3) in paragraph (7) (as so redesignated), in subparagraph (B)(v)-- (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``or'' at the end; (B) in subclause (II), by inserting ``or'' after the semicolon; and (C) by adding at the end the following: ``(III) has ancestral lands within the watershed;''. (b) Program.--Section 6002 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 1015a) is amended-- (1) in subsection (c)-- (A) in paragraph (1)(B)-- (i) in clause (i), by striking ``interests; or'' and inserting ``interests, including Indian tribes;''; (ii) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and (iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following: ``(ii) demonstrate significant need due to drought, wildfire, or other natural disaster; or''; (B) in paragraph (2)-- (i) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking ``$100,000'' and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ``$150,000 each year for a period of not less than 3 years, subject to the sufficiency of applications submitted and the availability of appropriations.''; (ii) by striking clause (iii); (iii) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively; and (iv) by adding at the end the following: ``(v) Continuation and extension.-- ``(I) In general.--The Secretary may, at the discretion of the Secretary, issue a continuation of the first-phase grant for not more than 2 additional years if the recipient of the first-phase grant has demonstrated [[Page S3571]] satisfactory performance with implementation of the proposal under the initial grant, as determined by the Secretary. ``(II) Amounts.--A grant continued pursuant to subclause (I) shall be in an amount not greater than $150,000 each year, as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary.''; (C) in paragraph (3)(B)(ii), by striking ``quantity.'' and inserting the following: ``quantity, including-- ``(I) grant writing; ``(II) project management; and ``(III) technical assistance, such as feasibility, design, preliminary environmental review, and engineering.''; and (D) by adding at the end the following: ``(4) Continuous enrollment.--The Secretary shall-- ``(A) make funding opportunities for the program available on a regular basis; and ``(B) allow applications for grants under the program to be submitted and evaluated multiple times during a calendar year.''; (2) in subsection (f), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ``, and make available to the public,'' after ``House of Representatives''; and (3) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following: ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.''. SEC. 1099A. ANNUAL LICENSING STATUS REPORT. Part I of the Federal Power Act (16 U.S.C. 792 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``SEC. 37. ANNUAL LICENSING STATUS REPORT. ``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the status of-- ``(1) the licensing process for each new license, and for each subsequent license for which sections 14 and 15 have been waived, for which the existing licensee has notified the Commission under section 15(b)(1) at least 3 years prior to submission of the report that the existing licensee intends to file an application for the new license or subsequent license, but the new license or subsequent license has not yet been issued under section 15; and ``(2) the licensing process for each original license under section 4(e) for which a citizen, association, corporation, State, Indian Tribe, or municipality has notified the Commission, pursuant to applicable regulations, at least 3 years prior to submission of the report that the citizen, association, corporation, State, Indian Tribe, or municipality intends to file an application for the original license, but the original license has not yet been issued under section 4(e). ``(b) Inclusions.--Each report submitted under subsection (a) shall include, with respect to the licensing process for each new license and subsequent license described in that subsection and the licensing process for each original license described in that subsection-- ``(1) the date the notice of intent described in that subsection was provided to the Commission; ``(2) any docket number assigned with respect to the licensing process; ``(3) whether any application for the new license, subsequent license, or original license, as applicable, has been filed; ``(4) information regarding the status of the application, including the date the Commission anticipates the Commission will issue the original license, subsequent license, or new license, as applicable; ``(5) the date of any upcoming proceeding or other meeting relating to the original license, subsequent license, or new license, as applicable; and ``(6) a description of any ongoing or completed actions required of the existing licensee, citizen, association, corporation, State, Indian Tribe, municipality, Commission, any fish and wildlife agency referred to in section 15(b)(3), and any other applicable agency. ``(c) Disaggregation of Information by License Type.--The information included in each report submitted under subsection (a) shall be disaggregated by whether the information relates to a new license, or a subsequent license, issued under section 15 or an original license issued under section 4(e).''. ______